Beyond - Legends Yellow (Kyp, Jaina, LOTF) one-shot

Title: Yellow
Author: DantanaSkywalker
Rating: G
Timeframe: Legacy Of The Force
Characters: Jaina Solo, Kyp Durron
Genre: angst
Keywords: angst
Summary: A yellow speeder is certainly a conversation starter.
Author Notes: I'm just playing in the world, I don't own it. Nothing's used with permission and anything weird is entirely the fault of my brain.

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She waits 'til they're airborne before she speaks. "Really? Yellow?"

Kyp's hands tighten on the controls. "It's not my speeder. It's Thelia's."

Jaina lifts a brow, half turning in her seat to look at him. But with forced casualness, like she isn't clamouring to demand to know exactly who "Thelia" is. Instead, after a fraction's hesitation, she lightly says, "Oh?"

"My girlfriend."

Silence descends suddenly. He wants to be smug in the declaration, rub it in her face, but the malice doesn't come. All he can summon is cloying regret.

"You have a girlfriend," Jaina says after a long moment. "Wow, Durron, look at you. All domestic."

Then, "What does she think about you picking me up in her speeder?"

His knuckles whiten, but he doesn't reply for several seconds. "She's on Denon for a few weeks. Mine needs repairs, so I'm borrowing this one."

The offer to help with the repairs is on the tip of her tongue, and he knows it. But she closes her mouth and shifts away, to look out over Coruscant.

It wouldn't be appropriate, for her to offer or for him to accept. She has Jag. He has Thelia. He suddenly wonders what happened to "partners", and how they let things get so awkward between them. Somehow, he knows that if Thelia weren't a factor, Jaina would be more comfortable. It should have been the other way around.

"How long have you been seeing her?" she asks, still not looking at him.

"A year. She's pushing to move in together."

Jaina's shoulders hunch, just a degree or two, but he doesn't miss it. "Are you going to?"

He doesn't know, so he doesn't answer.

Then she says, "I'm going to have to kill Jacen. I haven't said anything to Mom and Dad, but..."

"I know."

Jaina's hands slowly curl into fists. He doesn't need to hear what she's thinking. Even now, he knows. She can't talk to Jag about it. And now she doesn't know if she can talk to him about it.

He wonders what's worth more to him: his relationship with Thelia, or Jaina's confidence. Lia would not be happy to know he spent time with Jaina, whether discussing his speeder or her brother's fall to the Dark Side. Lia likes him, possibly even loves him. She doesn't care about Carida, or that his hair is at least twenty percent grey now. With her, he isn't alone.

And yet, as he pulls the speeder over to set it down on the platform outside Jaina's building, he's never felt more alone in his life.

His hands flex on the controls.

Neither of them speaks, and she doesn't move to get out.

He has two options. The first is to say goodbye and leave in Thelia's ridiculous yellow speeder, accepting that what they had is gone and that what he has is the best he's going to find. The second is accept that he is and always will be Jaina's, even if she will never be his; to turn the engine off, and ask what she's going to do about Jacen.

He looks at Jaina, her face pale, dark smudges beneath her brown eyes because she's losing sleep over the monster her twin has become. Her hands are clasped in her lap, scarred and callused, bloodless from being clenched together so tight.

He thinks of Thelia, her blonde hair and sapphire eyes, the way she looks at him. Her plans for them and their future.

He isn't sure which option would make him the bigger coward.

Then he thinks, "I'm on borrowed time, anyway."

Kyp twists the key stick and the engine's purr goes still. "Let's talk strategy."

 

Wonderful, Dana. Like I can feel Kyp's whatever do I do? Should I do? But as Jaina's friend, if nothing else, he knows she needs to vent and he is friend enough to listen. Bravo on the tone of resignation that Lia is the best he'll ever have. He certainly is the best she could ever get. LOL

 

I think it's also a decision he knew was coming anyway? If he's in love with Jaina still, it's cruel to lead Thelia on.

 

Nice one-shot!

 

Thanks! There's more following: Breakeven and then Counting Stars.

 

So, this is one of those "settle for the second best" situations? I definitely agree that it's cruel and while I can see how a man would also consider it to be his punishment, I don't get it. Bleak and a sad glimpse of reality overall.

brb, playing The Connels' 74-75.

 

I wouldn't boil it down that far. It's more complex than that.

 

I didn't read any of the EU books, so this is what it seemed like to a novice reader. I apologise.

 

I'm a bit confused as to why you read an EU 'fic that has necessary context from the books if you haven't read said books?

 

Thanks!